Creative Profile
Charlie Whatley
Charlie Whatley is a 24 year-old photographer, who resides in North London. Passionate about his craft, Charlie also loves travelling, skateboarding and is an avid fan of music. When he’s not out snapping shots for the likes of Carhartt or Stones Throw Records, Charlie holds down a respectable position teaching photography workshops for kids out of work and education.
Tell us about your creative background?
I studied art first at A Level. It was a course in print making, silk-screens, etchings etc, at the time I was also doing graphic design classes and enjoying them, so when I finished my A Levels I decided to go to art college, thinking I’d like to be a graphic designer. At art college we had the opportunity to take photography classes on Wednesday afternoons. After one class I decided that photography was what I wanted to focus my energy on. I had two really good teachers and after one year of college, I got into university.
What's the reason for doing what you do?
Making memories, appreciating things and I guess escapism in parts.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I've got to quote Chuck Close on this one:
"The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work.
“All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you're sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that's almost never the case."
Do you have a particular type of music you like to work to?
When I’m out shooting I can't really listen to music, but when I’m editing photos I like to listen to a lot of different music. It’s too broad a spectrum to start naming names or genres.
What are you currently working on?
I recently had surgery on my knee, so my main focus has been on getting well enough to get back to work, and paying my taxes, how rubbish is that?
Your favorite and your worst project so far?
It would be too hard to just pick one, I like them all for different reasons. Working for Carhartt and Stones Throw have been highlights for me.
What would your ideal photography job/project be?
I'm still trying to work out what my ideal job would be, but right now I’d be happy with just making a living from shooting photos. As for projects, anything where i can travel, meet people and shoot photos.
What can we expect from Charlie Whatley in the future?
I don't know right now, but it'll be probably be posted on my website. Oh, also in the New Year I want to put out a book of my work.
